AN: Apologies to everyone. This update has been a long time in coming. I caught a little bit of writers block, although I've shaken it off now. Things seem to be moving along smoothly now. Thank you all for sticking around during the delay. (And sticking around through the horrible cliffy I left you with last time.) I know some of you hated me, but I didn't really leave you much choice.
And now I'll stop rambling. Love you all and, as always, review!
Ria
Time seemed to slow to a stop.
Sailor Moon glanced down, seeing her hands wrapped around Kunzite's blade that was embedded into her side. She noted absently that there was no pain, when there should have been. She's received scratches that had hurt worse than this.
She gave the sword a slight tug, but it did not budge. Instead she let go, and looked up. Everything around her was frozen. She could pick out each individual raindrop in the sky. The mist in the air did not even swirl around her breath.
Kunzite's face was warped in rage, her Senshi in horror. Tuxedo Kamen's hands were raised to the sky, as if beckoning the wrath of God to come down to Earth. She could only imagine what was going through his mind.
"You really do like keeping things interesting."
A lone figure approached her, the mists separating as they passed, but never enough to give Sailor Moon a good look at them. She guessed that the figure was female from the voice, and noticed the shadow of long hair as she came closer. She was holding a long staff.
"Am I dead?"
There was a chuckle as the figure kneeled down. It was disconcerting to have her so close, and not be able to see her clearly.
"No Princess, but I must say that you are leading yourself down the path to it."
"You know who I am? What is going on?"
The woman stood up, her movements fluid and graceful. "I have slowed Time for you," she explained, waving her staff for emphasis. "I know what you planned to do here, and it would have failed had I not intervened. I am breaking the Rules to do this, but I do not like the outcome if I did not."
Comprehension started to dawn on Sailor Moon. When she was Serenity, her mother had told her that there were other Senshi, from every planet in the solar system, theirs and all the others. Each was a protector, guardians of the current ruling monarch. However, there was one who was said to guard not a person, but all Time itself. These were the descendants from Pluto, a race accustomed to isolation.
"Then I thank you for your help Pluto," Moon said. She would have risen to embrace the older woman, had she not been partially frozen to the ground.
Pluto tipped her head slightly at the acknowledgement. "Act quickly, Sailor Moon," she advised, twirling the staff above her head and slamming it back down to the ground. "This is the only chance I can give you."
Sailor Moon nodded, and placed her hand on Kunzite's, already feeling the tingling of approaching pain. She almost panicked, not knowing what memories she could give a man she knew nothing about. But then she remembered the largest part of him that he embraced from the past.
Had she not already had physical contact with the man, her plan would have failed, not only because of the staggering pain that crashed back into her, but the fact that Tuxedo Kamen, now fully attired in Endymion's royal regalia, slammed into Kunzite, sword extended at the man's throat. She had no breath to issue a protest of pain as the blade in her side evaporated.
Endymion, having no physical body to slow down, had witnessed Pluto's intervention, so had been ready to take control of Kamen's body when time started again normally. He had warned Mamoru that he had to be ready in case Usagi pulled something like this. The boy had failed, so he was taking matters into his own hands.
"Tell me why I shouldn't separate that pretty head of yours from your shoulders right now, Kunzite." Endymion's voice was deathly calm , having been already committed to what must be done.
Kunzite's face was ashen white, his eyes wide and surprised. No sooner had he began his killing thrust, he had been thrown to the ground by his former Prince. His speed had been astounding.
His eyes narrowed, attempting to take back control of the situation, if only to buy himself enough time to sort out the sudden thoughts in his head. Whatever Sailor Moon had done to him made the world seem like it was teetering on the brink of madness.
"How dare you show you face again! You betrayer!" He sounded less sure than he should have.
One of Endymion's eyebrows rose, barely seen beneath his fall of ebony hair. "Oh really?" he drawled, shifting more of his weight onto his knees which were pinning Kunzite's arms to the ground. "Tell me dear friend, did I kill your friends? No? How about your family?" His face loomed closer, twisted into a scowl. "Did I kill your mother right in front of you? Did I run her through with my sword, then blast your father away as he came to aid his beloved wife?" His voice lowered into a snarl. "Did I have a hand in the destruction of not one, but two civilizations?"
"You wanted the Moon to control us! You helped that witch Selenity!"
Endymion's eyes narrowed. He applied more pressure to his blade, sending a small drop of crimson blood flowing down from the tip. It mixed in with the rain, making a pink rivulet. "The Moon was making sure we didn't destroy ourselves. We are a race that embraces corruption just as easily as peace. You, my dear friend, aided that corruption by following a lunatic and a force made of pure evil. And now you are doing the same again. So, for that, I cannot forgive you."
Kunzite's eyes widened with fright as Endymion shifted his sword tip down in the hollow of his throat. He tried to speak, but words failed him. So he instead closed his eyes and waited.
"Endymion, stop."
The Prince looked back, seeing Sailor Moon cradled in Venus's lap. Mercury's hands were over her wound, no doubt applying pressure to stop the bleeding. Mars and Jupiter stood guard, all the more imposing with their hair and clothes drenched from the rain. Zoicite had retreated out of sight.
It may have been Sailor Moon's mouth that moved, but it was Serenity's voice that had spoken.
"Do not kill him. I have done what was needed, now leave it be." She was speaking as if she were Sailor Moon, to keep her identity hidden. But one could tell the difference. The intonation, even the slight accent to her words, they were all Serenity.
Endymion's lip curled. "He nearly kills you and you want me to let him go?" A flash of lightning accentuated his distaste of the situation. "He betrayed me and I deserve to deliver justice!"
"You cannot punish him for something done in the past. He has done nothing in this one yet to warrant his death. Leave him to decide which side he is on." Her quiet tone brooked no argument.
With a snarl, Endymion retreated into the back of Mamoru's mind, leaving a slightly stunned Tuxedo Kamen in his wake. He shoved himself off of Kunzite and retreated to Moon's side.
Kunzite raised himself onto his knees, eyes wary. "So, you leave the enemy to survive to attack you again?" he asked contemptuously. His gaze flickered briefly to Venus, then back to Moon.
Sailor Moon nodded. "You are not stupid Kunzite," she said, her voice now entirely her own. "You know if you do this again no one will hesitate to blast you into oblivion. I have given you what I can, and I only hope you use the knowledge wisely."
The dark general said nothing as he disappeared, but his gaze was hooked onto Venus. Sailor Moon did not have to look up to know that her friend shared that gaze.
Sailor Moon felt Venus relax beneath her. Kunzite's presence had her tense and on edge. Jupiter sagged to her knees, as if exhausted. Mars turned, her eyes glued to Tuxedo Kamen, whose gaze was in turn fixed on Sailor Moon.
Kamen knelt in front of her, wanting to both strangle her and smother her to him at the same time. "I was told you would do something like this." His voice was dry but worry laced the words.
Moon chuckled weakly. "Oh really? Because it was never on my list of things to do."
Mercury removed her hands from Moon's side and wiped her brow with her upper arm. Both gloves were heavily stained with blood. "The bleeding has stopped for now," she began in a purely professional voice, "but even with your accelerated healing, you're going to need real medical attention. I don't know if the sword hit anything vital"
Sailor Moon rolled her eyes. It was the only thing she could move at the moment. The pain was intense, and bouts of nausea made it feel like her stomach was in her throat. "And what am I going to tell them Mercury?" she asked snidely, struggling to suppress a cough. "I jumped into the middle of a fight with a guy carrying a sword? They'll think I'm crazy, and no doubt ask a ton of questions that I cannot answer." She waved a hand weakly. "I'll think of something."
Tuxedo Kamen snorted. "You'll bleed out before you come up with anything. Just let me heal you."
Sailor Moon appraised him. He looked exhausted, his skin pallid and drawn. "I don't think you have the energy for that."
"So what do you want to do?" he snapped back. "Just sit here and die?"
"No one is dying here tonight," Venus retorted heatedly. "Sailor Moon can just amplify your healing powers with the Silver crystal."
"I can?" Moon asked, wishing she could turn to see her friend's face. She felt Venus nod, but she said nothing, apparently not knowing how to perform the task suggested.
After a moment, she decided to just wing it. After all, she couldn't do much more damage than was already done. Taking hold of one of Kamen's hands, and grasping her brooch with the other, she concentrated on her crystal. She wasn't sure just how to use it in this way, she just knew it acted on the user's wishes. So, she wished away the pain, and the injury.
It was an unnerving experience. It was an odd feeling, a kind of prickling as her wound mended itself back together. It hurt, but not as much as having a gaping hole in your side.
The connection with Mamoru was intense. Their link flared to life, pulsating like a heartbeat. In that time, she felt what he felt; exhaustion, physical and emotional. She also felt Endymion's simmering anger in the background; his sudden appearance had changed things dramatically.
When she opened her eyes minutes later, she noticed all that remained of the fight was a faint scar stretching from her ribs down to her hip. She straightened a little to test the new skin. It was tender, but it held. She tried to rise, but another wave of nausea kept her down.
With his hand still in hers, Tuxedo Kamen helped her rise, placing his other arm around her waist to hold her up. "We are going to have a chat about this later," he promised, his tone dark.
Moon gave him a wan smile. "Sure, but could you quit with the rain?" Almost instantly, it was gone. Satisfied that he had finally taken her hints to heart, she then looked to her Senshi. "I'm assuming there is going to be questions, right?" Not that she wanted to deal with them right now. All I want is a nice warm bed and some dry clothes. This isn't the end of things, and I'm sure sleep is soon going to be hard to come by.
Jupiter, still on her knees, looked up. Her emerald eyes were wide. "I may not understand the real reason you did what you did, besides the obvious, but I am not going to scold you for it." By the look of her, she was ready to lay everything out in the open, regardless of what was going on around her. She sighed and threw her arms in the air. "I've been so obsessed with looking out for you, that I haven't been seeing that you don't need that kind of help. You've needed support, not coddling." she sounded angry, but at herself.
"I've been in the same mindset as I have been when I first met you. Somehow I couldn't comprehend that you've grown up, both as a person and a Senshi. I guess to me, you've always been like a little sister, one that needs someone to watch out for them."
Her hands balled into fists. "I can understand now why your patience with us has gotten short. I would have snapped long ago.
"But this is so much bigger than my lack of faith in you. And I do not know what is going on anymore, or at least not all of it. And to be able to properly support you," she flicked her gaze quickly to Mars, "I can only hope that you can trust me enough to let me in."
A genuine smile lit up Moon's face and she nodded. "I cannot thank you enough Jupiter. But it's going to have to wait until I get my strength back." Jupiter nodded without complaint. She seemed in no hurry. Moon then gazed at Mars, who looked uncertain. "Mars? Are you okay?"
The fire Senshi waved a hand in dismissal. "I'm just glad you're okay, that's all." Jupiter's gaze had clearly meant the she wanted Rei to follow her lead, but the girl wasn't ready yet; it could be clearly read on her features.
Sailor Moon sighed. This time the truth of what was going on had showed itself in quite a commanding way, and she still was ignoring it. Tuxedo Kamen gave her a squeeze of sympathy.
"Where is Zoicite?" Moon asked suddenly, glancing around.
The was a rustle behind them where the general emerged from the bushes, his overcoat shredded and his hair loose and plastered to his head. He was clearly nervous, one hand clenched in his hair, the other crossed over his stomach. His gaze was on Mercury, and looking away seemed like it hurt him.
He gave both Kamen and Moon a slight bow. "I must thank you both, Endymion-sama and Sailor Moon, for saving my life, however undeserving it may be."
Kamen held up a hand. "Please, do not call me that. It's Mamoru now." Zoicite nodded and bowed again.
Sailor Moon gave him a nudge. "Take him to your place, and I'll be along shortly. Things are going to have to be straightened out now that a certain hothead blew his cover." Kamen nodded and reluctantly let her go. Flicking a hand in the general's direction and giving Jupiter a pointed glance, he started out, Zoicite timidly following.
When the two were out of earshot, she approached Mercury, whose eyes were focused on the general's back.
"Are you okay Mercury?"
The girl gave a shaky laugh. "Honestly? I don't know. This is all so sudden. I told myself that when I saw him, I would ignore whatever feelings came up. But I can't. I hate him for all that he has done to us, and yet miss him and love him at the same time." She shook her head, her hair sticking to her face. She pried a lock off with a finger. "It should be impossible really. These are feelings from someone who lived long ago, why do I have to endure them?"
Moon placed her hand on the girl's arm and giving it a squeeze. "Don't be afraid of what you are feeling. You're not betraying anyone by doing so. This is all going to take time, so don't jump to any conclusions."
She moved to Venus, who had the fingers of one of her gloves in her mouth. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "What did you give him?" She asked, her tone pleading. She looked like her whole world depended on what the answer was.
"I gave him all I could. I gave him memories of you. I only hope it will be enough."
"Wait just a second," Jupiter interjected, confused. "What am I missing here? Were we paired with them in the past?"
Venus nodded, her voice faraway. "They were Endymion's Shitennou, his trusted guards, just as we were Serenity's protectors. We each fell in love with them, just as Serenity did with the Prince."
Jupiter's gaze snapped to Sailor Moon. "That mean's that you're," she stopped suddenly, laughing to herself. "Oh, my friend, this means you're never leaving my sight again."
Moon rolled her eyes, knowing that her friend meant what she said. She looked to Mars, who was still quiet. "Rei-chan, are you sure you're okay? You're never this quiet."
Mars blew a strand of hair from her eyes in agitation. "Gee, thanks for the compliment, Odango. I'm fine, just tired. Can we go now?"
Sailor Moon sagged a little, both from exhaustion and from her friend's attitude. "Yes, go home and get some rest. This was just the beginning. Now that some thing's have come into the light, I know for a fact that Beryl is going to press the advantage."
The girls nodded, Mars departing without a backwards glance. Venus and Mercury walked away together, heads close as they no doubt talked about the new developments. Only Jupiter stayed behind, a sly and cunning smile on her face.
"And I guess you'll be walking me home then?" Sailor Moon asked sarcastically. She didn't really want to chat, but saw no way around it.
"You better believe it," was the answer. "Mamoru will have my hide if you don't get there in one piece." The brunette seemed unfazed by all that had happened through the night. She dealt with things head on; if it happened in the past, she was content to let it stay there. She only needed to know what was important to the here and now.
"You know, I always thought you and Mamoru fought too much to be normal," Makoto went on as they started out, now in their civilian clothes. "You two were like magnets, always drawn to the other even though you might not have wanted it." Makoto's arm was wound around her waist, supporting her as they walked.
"There are a lot of things I didn't want," Usagi muttered, eyes focused on the ground, "but Mamoru was never one of them."
Makoto shrugged, unfazed but her friend's dour mood. Almost dying could do that to a person.
"So, what do you think is going to happen now?" the brunette asked a moment later, pausing at a crosswalk.
"Endymion has kinda let the cat out of the bag." They continued on as the light changed.
Usagi sighed. "Beryl was obsessed with Endymion in the past. I can only assume that it's the same now. Now that she knows he's with us, she's going to do whatever she can to get to him, although I don't know in what way."
"So what role do the general's hold in this?" Makoto's tone was light, but Usagi caught more than just mild curiosity in it.
"I have to tell you the truth, Mako-chan." she admitted. "I don't even know if all of them are still alive. You joined us in the middle of the pack."
Her friend nodded, a frown furrowing her brow. "Who was he?"
She didn't need to ask who her friend was talking about. "Nephrite."
They were quiet after that, and soon reached the entrance of Mamoru's apartment building. Usagi slipped away from Makoto's embrace and turned to look at her. The frown was still present.
"Tomorrow we'll find out whatever we can from Zoicite, Mako-chan." Usagi said. "If he's gone I promise I'll do whatever I can to get him back." She wondered how she could sound so assuring when her words rang hollowly in her own ears.
Makoto attempted a small smile, but it barely reached her eyes. "You go get some sleep. I'll call your mom."